A World Of Color
by coyote-zoe
Summary: Hermione Granger is lost in confusion. What does she really want? And why, in a world of color, can't she make a simple choice between green and blue?
1. Green & Blue

okay, this is a storry thats been bubbling dangerously in my mind for several weeks now. its my first try at POV writing. thanks to my wonderful beta reader Yma and her amazing skills  
  
Disclaimer: if I owned the Harry Potter series, CERTAIN very WONDERFUL, very TALL, DARK, and HANDSOME, very NOBLE people would not be falling through any stupid veils  
  
this story is in Hermione's POV and takes place in the trio's 6th year  
  
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I walked silently down the girl's staircase, weary and frustrated. I hadn't slept at all. It was Saturday morning and I was on my way down to, as usual, meet Harry in the common room before breakfast. Oh, how I longed for the days when I went down to meet both Ron and Harry. Sure, there was that small hope that today they would both be standing there waiting for me, but my sometimes quite annoying trademark logic forced me to know better. Ron wouldn't be there, by now he was probably down in the Great Hall, nearly finished with his breakfast. I paused at the end of the spiral staircase, putting my feelings in check as I slowly pushed open the door. I took one step into the common room and was immediately aware of the presence suddenly at my side.   
  
"Morning," Harry said softly. He took my hand in his and gave me a light kiss on the cheek. I gathered my strength for the day and met his eyes, pasting on a smile.   
  
"Morning," I returned.   
  
"You ready?" he asked. He looked perfect, as always; the heartthrob of 6th year. Not that he'd ever realize it. I nodded casually, and we left the common room in silence. It seemed to take an eternity to walk through the corridors of Hogwarts, people stopping and whispering as we passed. It had become well known that for the past two months Harry Potter had chosen Hermione Granger, of all people, to be his girlfriend and it was still hot news in the halls. Some were shocked, others were not. I was in the first group of thought. I looked down at Harry and my hands, locked together in a public display of togetherness, and the image seemed strange and unnatural. I thought that, after this long, that feeling would have subsided. At first I convinced my self it was natural, he had been my best friend, I just needed to adjust, and things would be okay. But since the night before we left for school, when I found Harry crying in Sirius's old room at Grimmauld Place, nothing had been okay. I had tried to comfort him, found myself at a loss for words, and before I knew it, he was kissing me, and the next morning he asked me to be his girlfriend. It had taken me by surprise, and I couldn't find any reason to say no, after all, no one else was asking me out. So I said yes. We reached the Great Hall and I was pulled from my thoughts as a red-haired figure nearly knocked me over.  
  
"Oh, sorry, Hermione," Ron said, picking up the book he had dropped. "Hey you guys," he said, the usual tone of forced casualty in his voice. "Just off to the library," he said quickly. I looked up at the two boys; no one was meeting anyone's eyes. It seemed like no time had passed since that moment on the Hogwarts Express when we told Ron. The mere thought of it was like a stab in the heart. We had secured a compartment to ourselves, ensuring privacy when we told Ron we were dating. He sat across from Harry and I, and the shock was clear on his face when Harry told him. Harry's voice was strained and nervous as he told Ron, because we all knew, deep down, that some unspoken agreement had somehow been broken. But Ron pulled himself together, congratulated us, said it was great, and left. My heart broke. But that had been two months ago, and ever since I had been waiting to fall for Harry. It was what everyone expected. So I waited patiently for the ton of bricks to drop on my head so that I could suddenly look at Harry the way he looked at me. But my thoughts drifted elsewhere. I wasn't happy around Harry, because Harry himself was rarely happy these days. There was no peace in my dorm, where the gossip queens recounted every incident of my relationship to each other over and over. Ginny was blatantly ignoring me, though I had been sure she no longer had a crush on Harry. Ron wouldn't look me in the eye. I didn't hear a word Harry said at breakfast, or as he kissed me good night. Then, in the middle of the night, I woke suddenly as a ton of bricks fell on my head, for the eyes I had seen in my dreams were not green, but blue.   
  
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i know its short but this is just the beginning. expect much more along the lines of the Good Ship R/Hr. that is, if u review. otherwise, well, there might have to be a little *shudders at her own evil* H/Hr action used to advance the plot. now if u'll excuse me i must take a very hot shower to wash away my own disgust.  
  
oh, and REVIEW! 


	2. Red & White

HEY! OMG! thankyou all SO much for reviewing. i'm glad you like it! (and to clear things up for several out there, Ron has blue eyes)  
  
and thanks to Yma for a fast beta on this. you're the best, girl!  
  
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The next morning I awoke as light was just beginning to pour in through my window. I lay in bed for hours with my mind in a state that could only be described as chaos. Confusing notions of 'whys' and 'what ifs' rolled through my thoughts in a daze of half sleep. By the time I could hear my roommates begin they're daily primping, my mind had just begun to clear.  
  
My dreams were just dreams. I was being perfectly silly to believe that they meant anything. Anyway, there was no way I could have been sure exactly whose eyes I had seen. Perhaps my hormones were just telling me that I preferred blue eyes. Yes that's all it was: hormones. It was all just some random glitch in my system. For all I knew it could have meant that I wasn't getting enough iron. Still, I felt relieved when I realized that Harry and Ron had Quiditch practice all day. Hearing my name come up in conversation caught my ear as my roommates chatted.  
  
"I wonder why Hermione isn't up," Lavender said nosily, obviously unaware of the fact that the curtains on my four-poster bed were not sound proof. No answer came from Parvati, so I assumed she had used her trademark don't-know-don't-care shrug in response.   
  
"Come on, Parvati. I feel sorry for her," Lavender said. I felt my stomach clench. "I mean, Ron's avoiding her and Ginny is completely ignoring her existence."  
  
"Well I don't know what she expected," Parvati said cheekily. "I mean, everyone knows Ginny has a crush on Harry. And as far as Ron, well, she had to see that one coming."  
  
I felt anger building in my chest. What right did they have to go nosing into my business? My actions were exactly that, MY actions. I was just about to pull open the curtains and insult them in a way so intellectually advanced that they wouldn't know what had hit them when the girls left.  
  
I yanked open the curtains and stalked over to my trunk, pulling out a pair of jeans and the first jumper I saw. I changed quickly, muttering under my breath. What did Parvati mean when she said 'she had to see that coming?' I had every right to expect Ron to be happy for us. We were his best friends. However, as I stood there, brushing my teeth, my face red with rage, I realized that I wasn't angry with them. I was angry with myself. I had known how Ron would react. Deep down, I had known all along that I was hurting Ron.  
  
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I took my books down to breakfast, hoping to avoid all human interactions for the morning. I was eating distractedly as I read the fifth chapter of my Potions textbook for the fourth time.   
  
"Hermione!"   
  
I was jerked from my studies as a breathless Dean Thomas came jogging towards me. He was in his Quidditch robes and his broom was still in hand. He was one of five new members of the house team, and had been selected as a Chaser.  
  
"What is it?" I asked, confused. Dean was trying to catch his breath as the entire hall stared at him.  
  
"It's, Harry," his words were broken by his gasps of breath. I was starting to get alarmed. " . . . and Ron." Forget alarm, my mind swung into full panic. I didn't even wait for Dean to finish. I jumped up, leaving my books behind on the table, and ran towards the stairs outside the Great Hall.   
  
The walls flew by, portraits and students alike blurring together as I ran past. I was headed for the Hospital Wing. Dean hadn't said they were hurt, but after five years of mortal peril, you developed some keen instincts. I turned a corner and smacked flat into someone. It was all I could do not to curse. I scrambled back to me feet and started off again.  
  
"Miss Granger!" I vaguely registered the voice as that of Professor McGonagall, but found myself unconcerned. The task at hand was much more important.  
  
I reached the door to the Hospital Wing, finally, and opened it swiftly. I was immediately met by Madame Pomfrey, who pushed me into the corridor before I could take one step.  
  
"No, Miss Granger, you will have to wait out here," she said sternly.  
  
"But..." Wait outside? That was almost NEVER a good thing.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore is speaking with them right now," she cut me off. Before I knew it, the door had once again closed in my face.  
  
My mind was swarming with thoughts. If they were talking then they had to be okay. Didn't they?  
  
Unless they had been attacked?  
  
"UHG!"  
  
"Miss Granger."  
  
I whipped around to see Professor McGonagall walking towards me. "I thought you might be headed here. If you would have stopped when we ran into each other, I could have answered any questions I'm sure you have," she said calmly.  
  
"Is Ron alright?" I nearly squeaked. The question surprised me, and I wondered if I had really been the one to say it. A moment of confusion and what seemed like curiosity crossed the woman's face before she replied.  
  
"Yes, he's fine. As is Mr. Potter," she said. I could feel my face flush. I had asked about Ron, and only Ron, and I was quite sure that the teachers at Hogwarts were very aware of Harry and my new relationship.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I believe," the Professor said, as though she thought the information wrong, "That they got into a fight."  
  
I was shocked. "With who?"  
  
"It appears," she said, sounding unsure again, "each other."  
  
The color in my cheeks drained away and I knew they were white as sheets. Shock couldn't describe what I felt.  
  
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Okay, hope that was a little longer and much more eventful, now stop reading my stupid author's notes and GO REVIEW! 


	3. Black & Blue

i'm sorry that this took so very long. my beta reader, Amy Kathryn Hawkins, died on Sept. 14 2003. its been really hard for me to continue. i also apologize for mistakes and such, i just can't find it in my heart to get a new beta reader. she was one of my best friends, and no one could fill her shoes.  
  
This ones for you Yma, i love you girl.  
  
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"Why on earth..." I muttered to myself in disbelief.  
  
"Perhaps you should ask them that yourself, Miss Granger," a rumbling voice said from behind me. I turned to see that Dumbledore had just stepped through the door. "Because they will not tell me." He walked away with Professor McGonagall, seeming, as usual, to know something I did not. I wasn't surprised, after all, Dumbledore always knew.  
  
I was left alone in the corridor, my feet cemented to the floor. I stared at the door for what seemed like hours before I could gather the strength to step forward. My heart pounded in my chest as I entered the hospital wing, terrified of what I might find. Finally, I stepped forward.  
  
I began the long walk down the center of the hospital wing, as I had so many times before. However, in all the times I had made the excruciating trip, never had I felt so unsure, so alone. I had always had reassurance from someone or something, always there was some form of strength pushing me forward. Now, there was only blind fear.  
  
I reached the end of the wing where a curtain had been pulled around the last bed. I paused, my heart pounding. I gathered all my strength and stepped around the curtain. I was met with the sight of Madame Pomfrey buzzing around the boys, applying something to their faces with an ordinary cotton ball. She paused at my presence.  
  
"Well," she said, eyeing me and then the boys, "I suppose I've done all I can. You may gather your things and return to your dormitories."  
  
Ron and Harry looked up suddenly. "What?" Ron exclaimed. "You're not going to heal us?" Madame Pomfrey gave no answer and left. I stared at the floor, surrounded by deafening silence. I couldn't bear it.  
  
"It's the rules," I said quietly, without looking up. "If you are involved in a fight you don't get the aid of magic." The silence continued, having been only briefly punctured by my words. There was no way out, I was going to have to look at them. I tore my eyes from the floor and met my fear.  
  
The boys were sitting on the bed, turned as far away from each other as possible. I looked them over carefully, still in their Quidditch robes, a mess of mud, grass, and sweat. Harry held his glasses in his hands, broken in two, and there were two deep, purple marks forming around his eyes. His lip was cut in several places, his cheek was swollen, and his nose appeared to be broken. Ron seemed significantly better, with only a cut lip and a gash above one eye.  
  
I looked away, attempting to find my voice. After several strangled breaths, I managed to blurt out one word.  
  
"Why?" I asked, because it was all I could ask. I received only silence. I looked up, first at Harry who stared steadily at the wall, and then to Ron, where I found my answer.  
  
Ron was looking right at me, straight into my chocolate brown eyes. I looked back at him, drawn into those beautiful, deep blue eyes, full of hurt and betrayal. They made my heart ache, ache like the moon aches for the night so that it may shine upon the earth. Then, I saw one final emotion in his eyes and my heart broke into a million tiny pieces. The answer I found in his eyes was love.  
  
I promptly passed out.   
  
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short i know, but i've already started the next part. it should be coming soonish. sorry again for the wait. 


	4. Grey into Black

hi all. thanks so much for the reviews. and thanks for all the concern over my firend  
  
this chapter is pretty short, and its formating wierd on the site for some reason. oh well, i just want to get it posted.  
  
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My eyes fluttered open slowly and I attempted to look around, an action hindered by the   
  
surrounding darkness. When my eyes adjusted I realized that I was in the hospital wing, tucked   
  
safely into a bed. I lifted my wrist to check the time and found that not only had my watch   
  
been removed , but I was wearing my pajamas. I rolled over slowly, fully prepared to go back   
  
to sleep, when I bumped into something soft and warm.  
  
I pulled back immediately, afraid and angry that some horror had chosen today of all days to   
  
invade my slumber, not to mention ready to pummel it thoroughly for not getting in line   
  
behind my other problems. But what I found was not some villain sent to hurt me, but a mess of   
  
red hair.  
  
My heart skipped a beat. Why was he here? But I knew why he was here. It was the same reason I   
  
had passed out and landed myself in this bed in the first place. And it scared me. It was   
  
absolutely terrifying to think that the one person I had finally given up on was the one   
  
person who was always there for me. Even now, in the middle of the night.  
  
Ron stirred and began to lift his head.   
  
"I didn't mean to wake you," I said quietly. It seemed as though it took him a second to   
  
realize where he was. When his eyes focused, and he looked at Hermione, he blushed slightly.  
  
"Hi," he whispered, looking done at the sheets.  
  
"How long have you been here?" I asked.  
  
He shrugged. "A while I guess." He kept looking at the sheets. We sat in silence for a few   
  
moments. There were no questions, because deep down we both knew all the answers.  
  
"I'm sorry," I said, picking nervously at my sleeve.  
  
"You're sorry?" Ron said. It was louder than we had been speaking and it startled me. I looked   
  
up at him. He seemed surprised. "You haven't done anything," he persisted.  
  
"Yes I have," I squeaked. "I've ruined everything," I said, tears forming in my eyes. The pent   
  
up guilt of the last two months was catching up with me. I looked up at the ceiling, blinking   
  
back my tears. "This whole thing is my fault."  
  
"Hermione," he said quietly. "None of this is your fault." I felt his warm fingers grasp my   
  
chin gently as he turned my face to his. "This is my fault." He paused, as if gathering the   
  
strength for some unbearable task. "I was wrong to fight with Harry. I have no right to think   
  
that you..." he looked down. "Let's just say, I missed my chance."  
  
"Ron.." I started, but he held up a hand to stop me. He took several deep breaths and stood   
  
up, focusing his eyes on one of the windows.  
  
"I just..."   
  
It was driving me insane, he wouldn't look at me.   
  
"I just wanted to make sure he knew how lucky he was."   
  
Look at me, I willed him silently.  
  
"I think he does. I hope he does."  
  
Look at me damn it!  
  
"Just, make sure you're happy."   
  
Then he left. Before I could say a single word, before I could tell him how much I loved him,   
  
that he hadn't missed his chance, he all but ran from the hospital wing, his grey figure fading into black. He had run from me because he thought we had no chance, because he respected Harry, because he wanted me to be happy.   
  
I suddenly loved him even more.  
  
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REVIEW! 


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